40% lifetime commission for a SaaS affiliate program — too much?
I'm currently working on the affiliate strategy for a new SaaS product and considering offering a 40% lifetime recurring commission.
My thinking is that, as an early-stage product without a large distribution channel yet, I'd rather give affiliates a much stronger incentive and reach customers I probably wouldn't be able to reach on my own.
For founders who have already run affiliate programs with recurring commissions:
Did offering a higher commission actually help you attract better affiliates and generate more sales?
Would you choose a 20–30% commission and keep higher margins, or offer 40% lifetime to make the affiliate program significantly more attractive?
And where did you find your best affiliate partners — existing customers, direct outreach, YouTube creators, SEO bloggers, affiliate networks, or somewhere else?
I'd especially love to hear from people who have experimented with different commission rates and seen a measurable difference in the results.
Replies
40% sounds nice now but I'd be nervous about still paying that rate a few years down the line.
I'd probably go with 40% early. When nobody knows your product yet, you need to give people a reason to take a chance on it.
I wouldn't assume a higher commission automatically means better affiliates. Some might sign up and never actually promote anything.
My opinion is, a 40% lifetime rate mostly attracts coupon and spam affiliates, not the ones who send real buyers. The affiliates worth having care whether your product actually converts, and those will take 20% if the math works.